Armenia and Azerbaijan in a geopolitical battle. Zangezur corridor

Abstract

The collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of three independent states on the map of the South Caucasus was welcomed in Turkey and Iran, which had actually lost the fight for control of the region to Russia in the past. The new geopolitical situation is in their interests, as buffer states have emerged between them and their centuries-old northern rival. Tehran is also using the newly formed situation to its advantage. It has gained the opportunity to communicate with Europe through the South Caucasus, which can significantly reduce its dependence on cooperation in the field of transport with Ankara. One of Tehran's goals is to prevent Ankara from gaining strength in the region, which is beneficial for Russia, as it creates an opportunity to restore control over the region. On the other hand, if there is a prospect of creating a military-political union of the CIS countries led by Moscow, Iran can be safely listed as an opponent of such a union, as it will be perceived as a threat to its own national security. But, as such a union is not expected in the near future, then Iran can be perceived as a Russian ally in the fight against the spread of Turkish and US influence in the region.

In addition to neighbors, European countries and the United States are interested in the region. European countries prefer to act with the help of EU programs, which allows them to achieve better results at lower costs. It must be recognized that the South Caucasus is not a priority area in EU policy, so instead of large-scale investments from European companies, there is mainly technical assistance and educational programs, the main goal of which is to find internal resources in the countries of the region, optimize their use. The main political goals of the EU must be recognized as maintaining the independence of the South Caucasus states, primarily from Moscow, as well as stabilizing the situation in them. However, the main goal of the EU in the region is to develop the hydrocarbon resources of the Caspian Sea and ensure their safe transportation to European markets.

                 The United States of America, remaining the only superpower in the world, is striving to support the independence of the former post-Soviet republics from Russia in order to prevent the possibility of their integration around it. The existence of the Caspian hydrocarbon basin contributed to the change in the US position towards the countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The US oil giants could not allow either Russian control over the oil fields or the dominance of European competitors. They forced Washington to take an active position in the region and declare it a zone of its vital interests. This is due to the fact that the US dependence on oil supplies from the Persian Gulf countries is great and threatens to exceed the fifty percent threshold. In addition, control over the Caspian basin fields will allow influencing the world oil market. So, as for the EU, it is necessary to recognize the main goals of the US as control over oil and gas reserves in the Caspian region and the creation of routes for transporting oil to the world market.

             In such international relations and in the process of geopolitical struggle, the peoples and states of the South Caucasus have to live, while simultaneously fighting to preserve their geopolitical space.

               Today, logistical geopolitics in international relations is at the zenith of its struggle. Conflicts and geopolitical processes affect not only the transport architecture of the South Caucasus states, but also determine which geopolitical camp a particular country will be in. The South Caucasus, with its great transit potential, stands out for its uneven development of the transport infrastructures of all three republics in the region, which is mainly due to a complex of geopolitical problems, in particular the presence of a number of unresolved conflicts. The latter create significant obstacles both for regional transport integration and for the uniform involvement of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan in international transport communications.